The present invention is directed to electronic garage door openers and, more particularly, to a drive assembly for an electric garage door opener rail.
In the garage door industry, T-rails are shipped in long corrugated cardboard boxes that are approximately 90 to 130 inches long. During shipping, the boxes are frequently damaged and crushed due to excess empty space in the box, which causes handling problems. The shipping survivability of the drive assemblies and boxes can be improved by adding polymer inserts to fill the empty spaces in the box. This is disadvantageous because of the expense of the polymer inserts, the space required for storing bulky packaging components, and the need for disposal of large quantities of non-biodegradeable packaging components. Additionally, drive assemblies are often damaged during shipping, requiring an installer to install a new drive assembly.
Another approach to improve shipping survivability is to design a box that fits tightly with the T-rail to reduce the empty spaces that are vulnerable to crushing. In order to reduce the empty space, because the drive assembly is the largest profile component in the assembly, the drive assembly is removed from the T-rail assembly. Removal of the drive assembly from the T-rail during shipping eliminates drive assembly damage from shipping. However, the disadvantage of this approach is that the installer has to reassemble the drive assembly onto the T-rail at the point of installation. Often, in order to reassemble the drive assembly onto the T-rail, the installer has to disassemble other components, such as the drive mechanism and a pulley. This can be a time consuming, confusing and frustrating procedure. Installers are often paid on a piece-meal basis per installation, so lost time can be costly for the installer.
The present invention is directed to a garage door drive assembly for moving a linkage arm connected to a garage door to raise and lower the garage door. The assembly is adapted for shipping in a partially assembled condition in at least one box for on-site installation. The assembly, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, includes a longitudinally-extending rail having laterally extending flanges extending therefrom. The assembly also includes a carriage shaped to fit about the flanges thereby supporting the carriage for sliding motion along the rail. A drive mechanism is movably mounted to the rail for longitudinal motion along the rail. An anchor is coupled to the drive mechanism for movement with the drive mechanism. The assembly also includes a coupler.
The coupler has a selectively releasable connection to the anchor, a connector pivotably connectable to the linkage arm, and a detachable connection enabling the coupler to be fixedly secured to and carried by the carriage. The rail and the carriage may be shipped to the installation site in a box having a smaller cross-sectional profile than would be required to accommodate the carriage and the coupler in their connected state.
In an embodiment, the anchor has a first half and a second half. The second half is coupled to the first half using at least one fastener passing through the drive mechanism. The first half and the second half of the anchor form a locking notch. The coupler has a locking tab moveably engageable into the locking notch. Additionally, a spring and a lever are coupled to the locking tab. The lever engages and disengages the locking tab from the locking notch. In an additional embodiment, the lever has a detent at one end, the detent engaging with the coupler to prevent the locking tab from engaging in the locking notch.
In an embodiment, the carriage has a retainer, and the coupler has both a mounting base and a plurality of retention brackets. The anchor is prevented from disengaging from the locking tab by the retainer, the mounting base, and the retention brackets.
The connector pivotably connectable to the linkage arm has a bracket with a fastener opening. In an exemplary embodiment, the bracket has two bracket arms, each of which has a fastener opening. The linkage arm has an orifice to facilitate attachment to the bracket. The linkage arm is inserted between the two bracket arms and a fastener is passed through the fastener openings and the orifice.
In an exemplary embodiment, the detachable connection of the coupler to the carriage includes a biased clip connected to the coupler, the biased clip having a hook; and a clip opening in the carriage. The clip opening is positioned so that the hook is inserted into the clip opening upon proper engagement between the carriage and the coupler. Additionally, the detachable connection includes a plurality of coupler insertion openings extending laterally across the carriage and a plurality of inserts extending laterally across the coupler. The inserts are insertable into the plurality of insertion openings.